Privacy Policy - Tooting Bec Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Tooting Bec Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Tooting Bec Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Tooting Bec Carpet Cleaners provides residential and commercial carpet cleaning services. In the course of delivering these services, we may collect and use personal data about customers, property occupants, payment contacts, and other individuals where relevant to service delivery. This policy describes our data practices and your rights regarding your personal information.

2. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes connected to our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service data such as property details, cleaning requirements, appointment preferences, and service history.
Payment data such as billing details and payment confirmation records.
Communication data such as messages, complaints, feedback, and correspondence relating to services.
Technical data such as basic device or usage information if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.
Special category data only where you choose to provide it and it is relevant to service delivery, for example access or health-related information needed to carry out cleaning safely. We handle such information with extra care and only where lawful to do so.

We do not deliberately collect more information than is needed for the purpose stated. If we receive personal data that is not required, we will handle it appropriately and securely.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect data directly from you when you:

make an enquiry or request a quote;
book or manage a service appointment;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other channels;
make a payment or request a refund;
provide feedback, a review, or a complaint.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as payment processors, referral partners, or property managers who arrange services on your behalf.

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and respond to service enquiries;
to schedule, deliver, and manage carpet cleaning services;
to communicate appointment updates and service-related information;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to maintain service records and customer history;
to deal with complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters;
to improve our services, training, and customer experience;
to comply with legal, accounting, and tax obligations;
to protect our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud or misuse.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for a compatible or legally permitted purpose.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases may include:

Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including providing carpet cleaning services and handling payments.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relations, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, and improving operations.
Legal obligation – where we must process data to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, such as tax, accounting, or record-keeping rules.
Consent – where we ask for your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or when processing special category data in limited circumstances.

If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the delivery of services, resolving disputes, and meeting legal requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records are retained for a period reasonably necessary for service administration and follow-up.
Payment and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and financial laws.
Complaints, claims, and dispute records may be retained for longer where needed to protect our legal rights or comply with obligations.
Information no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed.

We regularly review the data we hold to ensure it is not kept for longer than necessary.

7. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, business operations, or legal compliance. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the situation.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers who process card or online payments;
IT and software providers that support booking, storage, or communication systems;
administrative service providers assisting with document handling or customer management;
professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers, where necessary;
insurance providers or claim handlers when a matter involves damage, loss, or liability;
subcontractors or operational partners who help deliver services under our instructions.

When we use processors, we require them to process personal data only on our instructions, maintain appropriate security, and comply with data protection law. We do not sell personal data. We also do not share personal data for unrelated marketing by third parties without a lawful basis.

8. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful mechanisms. We take reasonable steps to ensure transferred data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

9. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, loss, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, limited staff access, and staff awareness of confidentiality obligations. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We will act promptly if we become aware of any personal data incident that requires investigation or notification.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used:

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your personal data in certain situations.
Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – you may request that certain information be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to complain to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to raise any concerns so we can try to resolve them first.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you. If this position changes, we will update this policy and provide any additional information required by law.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is protected.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Tooting Bec Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal information fairly, securely, and lawfully. We only collect data needed to provide our services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data for no longer than necessary, use trusted processors under contract, and respect your rights under UK data protection law. This policy applies to all customers in the Tooting Bec area who use, enquire about, or otherwise interact with our carpet cleaning services.

We value your privacy and aim to keep your information handled with care, transparency, and respect.